Monthly Archives: August 2016

I sat on the very edge of my seat, my legs shaking with excitement. It wasn’t only my legs, my whole body was shaking with excitement, and even a bit of fear. What happens if he misses the goal, especially since its penalties? Well, for one my family will go nuts. Were that family that has something they watch every Friday night, and for us it’s soccer. So, when you’re at the World Cup with you whole family, and it’s the first time any of us have been, we expect the unexpected. I glance up right when he shoots, and the whole crowd goes berserk!

Imagine practicing and practicing for something your whole life, and then it turns out you’re not allowed to do it. That’s what it’s like for refugees that want to compete in the Olympics, but that’s not the case anymore. For the first time in history, the Olympic Committee has agreed that a team of refugees can be in the running for the Games! There will be ten athletes in this team (swimmers, runners, judokas etc.), and they will all be from Syria, South Sudan, Ethiopia or Congo. All the athletes from this team were forced to leave their countries and became a refugee. But now, all of them will be able to compete and achieve their ultimate dream. Here’s a bit of background information on one of the athletes in this team, her name is Yusra.

This 18 year old swimmer has always had the dream of competing at the Olympics, but last year she thought her dream was over. That year she left her home (Syria) and went down the road as a refugee. A refugee is a person who has left their country because they either endangered by war, they are given bad treatment or violence has occurred in their life. These things often happen because of someone’s gender, race or beliefs. Yusra left her home for there is a war happening, but she is not the only one. Her and her sister are just 2 of the 60 million refugees out there. These 2 girls were fleeing to Greece with eighteen other refugees, and they all fled in one rubber dinghy. But catastrophe struck when the boat broke down and started to fill up with water. Beforehand, her sister had told her if something happens, don’t help anyone. But most of the people on this boat couldn’t swim, and the 2 of them decided to push it to shore. Yusra stated that it was really hard and frightening, especially since she was a swimmer and she could have ended up dying in the water.

But 3 hours later they arrived safely, and eventually got to Germany as refugees. Some of those refugees are elite athletes, and have been training all for their whole life to get to the highest level (the Olympics). But when settling, most thought that their dream was over (including Yusra). This is for the common knowledge that in the past, a refugee has never been allowed to participate in the Games. Now, there is no difference whether you are a refugee or not, it’s all about the race.

The refugee team has also got some bonuses, as well as being able to strive in the Olympics. They have received their own coaches, team uniform, officials, and even their own chef! These extras have all been paid for by the IOC, and for a very good reason. The IOC wants this team to inspire and give hope to other refugees, as well as drawing attention to this issue that millions of people are facing. This team has been training hard for months, and they believe their up for the challenge, no matter where they end up placing.

And I think the IOC’s idea is working, since more and more refugees are starting to accomplish their dreams. The team’s heard a lot of stories from refugees, stating how they couldn’t do it or wouldn’t. But after seeing the refugee team in action, all of the stories came back saying that they want to be like them and should have tried harder. But what really inspired refugees was their advice, them saying you can and you just want to try from all your heart really means a lot to everyone.

I understand how much pressure it is to compete in the Olympics. Athletes do it for they love sport, but to have such an important role while being there would build a lot of pressure.

A question I have is:

How did this team end up competing, and how many supporters did they have?

I was edging towards the back of the enclosure, my heart betting 200 miles per second. I’m surprised I’m still alive, and it’s extraordinary how it haven’t heard me yet. I reckon I’ve crunched about 12 leaves, all making a crackling noise. The worst ones are the black leaves, they leave a mark underneath your shoe. I poked at the wired fence, and questioned how fast I could climb it. I wanted to scream for mum with all my might, but it would hear me. I hear a crunch and I turn around, and I’m face to face with the flamingo. Dammit, I’m dead.

I jogged along the coastline and waved to a few people, so far no one’s noticed. They all smile at me and wave back, no one’s rude enough to look into my pocket. Even though I’m a teenager, they still give me that respect. But that’s pretty much the only respect I’ll get. Which is why, I can’t wait to be an adult. I glance around to check no one’s here, and sit on the sand right next to the water. I quickly drop it in, not sure exactly what it’ll do. And as I stared into the water, it began to turn green.

This BTN video was about 2 earthquakes and how their similar and different. One of them was in Haiti, and the other was in Chile. They both happened in 2010, and they were also really close in months. In fact, a month after the Haiti earthquake, Chile got one too! Freaky, 2 earthquakes in 2 months. These particular earthquakes were both really dangerous, but the BTN video was comparing how each of them were dangerous. Here’s a bit more on what was similar and different about these 2 earthquakes.

Let’s start with what was similar about these 2 natural disasters. Firstly, they were both earthquakes. And that means they would have been triggered the same way. Earthquakes happen when 2 tectonic plates collide, and a burst of energy flows through the crack created. Basically, the stronger the energy, the more dangerous it is. Earthquakes are really common where there are a lot of tectonic plates, and it so happens that Haiti and Chile are prone areas. This is because of another similarity between the 2 quakes, both countries are in the ring of fire. An important factor about these 2 earthquakes was they both realised a lot of energy. But that also meant that a natural disaster was coming, a tsunami. It took Chile and Haiti by storm, as whole towns (and buildings + roads) crumbled. Even boats ended up on land, but the worst part was families were separated. The two tsunamis weren’t as powerful as each other (Chile’s was worse) or at the same time, but they both still happened. Another similarity is they both got international aid, so it will be easier to rebuild buildings that have fallen. And lastly, the final similarity about these 2 earthquakes is they were both dangerous.

Now let’s look at the differences between the 2 earthquakes. To determine how destructive a natural disaster is, you measure the death toll, economic loss and how hard it is to rebuild. The Haiti earthquake had a death toll of 250,000 people, and there was also a lot of injured. The Chile earthquake killed approximately 500 people, yet it was 500 times more powerful. The Haiti earthquake had the magnitude of 7 on the richter scale, but the Chile earthquake had the magnitude of 8.8. That doesn’t seem like the biggest difference, but it actually has a huge impact on how destructive the earthquakes were. The ridged scale is how you measure how damaging earthquakes are, and it goes from 1 to 10. Every time you increase a number, it’s showing that the earthquake has 30 times more energy than last time. So it was a massive difference that Chile’s earthquake was 500 times more powerful, but why did less people die? Well, Chile is a 1st world country, while Haiti is a 3rd world country (another difference). That means that Chile has more money than Haiti, so they can make their surrounding safer. They have special building rules so they can use materials like steel to stop building shaking. The more materials you have to stop the building shaking, the stronger it will last. Haiti on the other hand, well they don’t have these special rules. Their building are mostly made out of weak materials. So more buildings collapsed (with people in them) than in Chile, causing more deaths.

In conclusion, there were a lot of similarities and differences between these 2 earthquakes. I believe the Haiti earthquake was more destructive, since more lives were lost. So in some ways I feel that the Haiti earthquake was more damaging, but the Chile earthquake could have destroyed a lot more.

Something I understand now is how important it is to have strong buildings. Everyone is worrying about the drills (to know how to escape safely), but we also need good protection for those who don’t make it out of the building.

A question I have is which countries helped these 2 countries? And were their ones that helped one country, but not the other (why)?

7 years. I spent 7 years at a primary school. There is 180 days in a school year, so I spent approximately 1,260 at school. Most kids might think that you must be really unlucky to have lived in a nightmare like that. But at my school, the kids here don’t think that way. I don’t know how or why, but we don’t. But 300 hundred kids looking forward to school, something’s up. And over the years at this school, I’ve been trying to work it out. Finally, after 7 years of dedication, I’ve done it. And funny enough, it’s not friends. Or the teachers, or even the school itself-though each of those have been awesome. But more than that, I believe it’s the principals we’ve had, and 3 really stand out. Their names are Matt (our principal), Rebecca (our vice principal) and Barbara (our vice, vice principal)…

I remember back in year 2, when my class was practising for the concert. We had made up a few moves when Rebecca walked through the room. Everyone face lit up, after all it’s Rebecca. She addressed the class with her cheerful smile, and I blush when I automatically start smiling as well. She starts talking to Jacinta while we keep on going in the dance. I think about how I always end up going to her when she’s on yard duty. I guess it’s because somehow she understands, even when I’ve accidentally done something wrong. Her optimism lingers in the library a bit longer after she leaves, and I acknowledge how lucky this school is to have a person like her. Sweet, caring, funny and really optimistic, wow what a person! And have her as a vice principal has benefited the school so much. The last thing you need to say about her is she’s marvellous at what she does. An illustration of this is when the coastal ambassadors met up with Matt and Rebecca. They both helped so much and gave us a different perspective on our plan, as well as sorting things out that wouldn’t quite fit with our timetable. And that’s why on principals’ day everyone needs to thank her, for her hard work to this school has really helped all us students and teachers.

Another memory that stood out to me about our present principals was the Spring Fete. This particular spring fete was 2014, when I saw our principal step behind a wooden wall, which was painted with a clown on it. But where the clowns face was supposed to be, there was actually a big hole for a person to put their head in. I saw the line of people holding sponges, and the first person went for their shot. Luckily it missed him, but I realised that he’s doing it for fun. A lot of principals wouldn’t have done this, but he did. He also was talking to the students and got them piped up, which I thought was really funny. He was raising money for our school, and was encouraging others to have a shot at the activities. And on top of having all those great traits, he was simply really easy going and modest. This is a great trait to have, and I admire it. Another thing I really admire is how good at his job he is, and for that we need to thank him. For example, he listens to the students’ opinions as well as the adults. He’s easy going, modest, funny, enjoyable, encouraging and he’s great at his job (as all of our teachers and principals are). Our school is one of the luckiest schools to have a principal like him, and I know that is one of the most truthful things I have ever said.

The last remembrance I will share with you is actually not so long ago. It did happen weeks ago, but it still stands out to me. I was walking towards my class when I bumped into Barbara. She politely asked me a question (I forgot what it was) and the first thought that popped into my head was she’s so friendly. Barbara is the kind of person you automatically like (like all the principals and teachers) but she’s so friendly it makes you beam. She was new to the school (since she was replacing our vice principal) and to walk into a place you don’t know and have to take on a job like this, she’s very brave. She’s also done a magnificent job, especially since she has to teach some classes as well. I find her to be a great role model (like the other adults who help run this school) and hope others do to. I ended up answering her question, and I noticed how funny she is. A few jokes here and there, it really brightens your day. And I’m glad we have her at our school for she’s funny, friendly, brave, great at her work and she’s a great role model. So, thank you Barbara for being our vice, vice principal and I hope you enjoy principal day.

So in the end, maybe spending 1,260 days at school isn’t such a nightmare. If you go to the school that I go to, then count yourselves blessed. Because we have the most wonderful teachers, we make lifelong friends and we have the most impressive principals of all time! No wonder our school is wonderful, the guidance and friendships we have is stunning! I am so proud to go to this school and I know that others feel that way as well. We are so lucky to have them, and I am truly grateful that our school gets to have principals as fantastic as them. So thank you to all 3 of our principals, for how much you’ve made this school a better environment.